Report No.1 ... My first encounter with BRAS was very uplifting.
BRAS, or to give it its full name, Basingstoke Residents Association (South), was established early in 2008 by two of my neighbours in Letsby Avenue, Mrs Goatsbottom and Melody Singer.

The association is growing daily and now has four members all of whom are on the committee.

The aim of BRAS is to keep abreast of outstanding issues in the local community and support the residents of Basingstoke South, so long as they pay their subscriptions.

Meetings take place on an ad hoc basis or Melody Singer's kitchen table whichever is available, and can get quite heated, especially if Ms Singer is boiling her partner's underpants on the gas stove at the time.

Items on the agenda range from wheelie bin collections to dog nuisance.

When it comes to dog mess, Mrs Goatsbottom, always puts her foot down.

Mr Scumdudgeon, who lives at number 24, next to the Cockroach Sanctuary, has the biggest collection of wheelie bins this side of Cheltenham Spa. He acquired his first bin at the age of seven when he swapped the wing mirrors off his dad's Ford Anglia for it. Since then he's never looked back.

More tomorrow ...